Magical Basics Expounded
by EmySabath
Summary: This is a companion to Time To Spare, a book written by Aries in his early twenties at part of his becoming a jinx-smith. Rather than explain my messed-up theories of magic in the middle of the story, I give you this instead.
1. Magical Distinctions

**Disclaimer:** Jo's world, I just live there.**  
**

**Summary:** This is a companion to Time For Me. In writing that fic, I found myself, in three chapters and a prologue, delving into time travel theory, apparition theory, and ward theory. All of these I had thought through extensively because of various other parts of the book yet to come, mostly to deal with Aries' later profession as Voldemort's jinx-smith. As I didn't want to have to delve in depth in the middle of my fic into my personal theories of magic in Rowling's world, I have decided to present you with a book written anonymously (by Aries), explaining the workings of everyday magic for the everyday person.

Magical Basics Expounded

By: A Quiet Life

Chapter 1 Magical distinctions – charms, jinxes, hexes, and curses

Chapter 2 Potions – how and why it is _not_ 'just like cooking'

Chapter 3 Transfiguration – quarks and the laws of the universe

Chapter 4 Charms – levitation, summoning, banishing, vanishing, conjuring

Chapter 5 Shields – wards, ward-threads, and technique

Chapter 6 Transportation – apparition, disapparition, portkey, and floo

Chapter 7 Dark Magic – and why the Unforgivables aren't

Chapter 1: Magical Distinctions – Charms, Jinxes, Hexes, and Curses

One in the beginning of their magical education may wonder about the distinction between spells. What draws the line between a charm and a curse? A more curious person may look into the ministry guidelines (Spell Regulation, volume 4, sections V-XII), but the complex phrasing needed for regulation circumvents almost entirely the complex magical differences involved in classification.

First one must understand the nature of Magical Sense, and what can be viewed through it. Magical Sense develops as a witch or wizard grows into their majority, usually between the age of sixteen and twenty, though this can vary from individual to individual. All wizardkind have some Magical Sense – that is, some ability to discern instinctively the magic around them – though the majority will never have more than a vague feeling, from a tingling on their nose to the hairs on the back of their neck. As this book is intended for all readers, a full description will be given of each spell.

The primary method of spell distinction is Intrinsic Detriment. Intrinsic Detriment poses the question: Removing any extra-ordinary circumstances, is the spell intrinsically harmful or intrinsically neutral? A Neutral spell is automatically classified as a Charm; for example, levitation does not _automatically_ harm its target. Now, this must of course be qualified, as magic itself is neutral; "magic, as a basic element of the universe, is not sentient and does not adhere to abstract terms such as Good or Evil" (Oberon Mailer's Sorcere and the Defiance of Morality, pg 103). Even the Killing Curse is still just a spell – magic with a purpose; that most would call the purpose evil is beside the point. But I digress, as this will be covered in Chapter 7.

Other spells, neutrality aside, are Detrimental, causing – again in average circumstances – discomfort or embarrassment in the target. These spells are later placed in categories based on degree of discomfort, but all will eventually be classed as Jinxes, Hexes, or Curses.

The secondary aspect of any spell is the presence of visible color, as this is also the first level of distinction. Charms, jinxes, and low-level hexes have no color. Argument could be made against this with the example of _lumos_, the Light Charm, but here the light, and any color from it, are the Spell-Effect, not the magic of the spell itself. Let me explain; in the case of the Stunning Curse, the magic is visible as a red bolt, the Spell-Effect is unconsciousness of the target. In the Light Charm, the magic is invisible, the Spell-Effect is a glowing wand-tip.

So, the second distinction of a spell is Invisible or Visible. This basically cuts the class of Detrimental spells in half. All Jinxes are invisible, all Curses are visible, and Hexes straddle the border. In order to identify whether an Invisible spell is a jinx or a hex, or a Visible a hex or a curse, the spell must be examined in its spectrum. Visible spells are, naturally, classed according to the visible light spectrum, while Invisible spells are classified by the MSS, or Magical Sense Spectrum. This is the reason why all Spellsmiths are wizards with powerful Magical Sense, they must be able to see invisible spells through their magical eyes. I will not go into describing the MSS, for that would be – and is – another book all in itself (Barry Bottle's Magical Lights: An In-Depth Look at the Magical Sense Spectrum), but suffice it to say that the warmer the color, the lower-level the spell. Spells green and above are low-level Hexes, yellow and below are Jinxes. In the Visible spectrum, spells are classified by brightness; a spell with a tint greater than 50 (referring to the amount of true color to white) is a Curse, lower than 50 is a high-level Hex. A lower tint results in pastel-colors, while a higher tint results in brighter colors.

Of course, not even the ministry will rely wholly on colors to tell them how dangerous a spell is. Spectral Analysis results are cross-checked with a ruling by the Council Detrimenta who each have the spell cast on them in order to rank it on a scale from ) to 10(X), where _Quietus_ is 0 and _Avada Kedavra_ is X. (Yes, _Quietus_ is a jinx, as the Sonorous Charm being cast prior to the Quieting Jinx is considered extra-ordinary circumstance, and so under ordinary circumstance having one's voice Quieted would cause discomfort)

The third and final form of classification, just to make sure they got it right, is duration, without application of a counter-charm. Jinxes are one-time-only, and cause no secondary effects, occurring and dissipating instantaneously or within a matter of hours at most. Hexes cause lasting effects that, though they will fade in time, may take days, weeks, or even months to finally go away. Curses are obviously by far the nastiest when it comes to duration, as they last eleven months to permanency, and compound with time. The Cruciatus Curse, for example, increases with each passing minute to prevent the victim from adjusting mentally or physically to the pain, though the counter-charm is cast simply by lifting the wand away or directing attention elsewhere.

You may wonder where, in all of this classification, transfiguration spells, counter-curses, and other spells you may have learned in classes besides Charms with the dear Professor Flitwik or one of his colleagues. Surprisingly enough, these are all classified as Charms, and what a student would learn in a Charms class is actually any Neutral spell that cannot be assigned to a field of specific study, such as Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, or Transfiguration. A Charms class is a medley, therefore, of un-classifiable, non-detrimental spells.

So, while the average person may never gain a Spellsmith license nor be qualified to declare an unknown spell, at least now you can go out armed with a knowledge of just what you face when someone throws a jinx at you.


	2. Potions

**Disclaimer: **Jo's world, I just live there.

**Summary:** A magical textbook, if you will, so that I don't have to go into the complexities of magic in the middle of my fic Time For Me.

**Chapter 2 : Potions – How and Why it is _Not_ "Just Like Cooking"**

When I was learning potions, a phrase commonly heard by a friend of mine trying to help one of her straggling classmates was "Really, it's just like cooking, you only have to follow directions and you'll get it right." Once I understood the true nature of Potions, I cringed each time she said this. Despite common belief, Potions is like cooking only in that it requires heat and the majority of results are ingested. Following directions is not all that is required, nor does it assure a successful potion, otherwise Potions would not require magic.

Every ingredient, or reagent, used in Potions has two sets of properties – chemical and magical. Both of these interact with the respective properties of every other reagent, as well as with its surroundings. Chemically, reagents react with temperature, light, pH balance, as well as chemical properties of the cauldron. Magically, reagents react with spells cast at or around them, natural flows of magic such as those common around water or volcanic activity, lunar phases, magic of the brewer, and the magical properties of the cauldron. As you can see, the cauldron is a common point – this is why there are so many types of cauldrons. Most students begin with a simple size-2 pewter cauldron because pewter is magically as well as chemically neutral and the small size protects the potion from outside magical influences before the student learns to create a buffer zone on their own. This also helps determine which potions are lower level; those potions that do not require specific metals or sizes of cauldron are generally those with few chemical or magical requirements. Other, higher level potions need various metals – copper, silver, gold, steel, lead, or aluminum are the standard metals – and sizes – 1 through 10.

In order to fully examine these interactions, we'll use an example: Caveo Veles.

The ingredients of the Caveo Veles potion are as follows: amber resin, a griffin talon, dragon's blood, iron shavings, dried gladiolus petals, iris roots, and two drops of hydrochloric acid. The first step, as with 92 of potions, is to boil one cup of water in the cauldron. No specific type of cauldron is required, though it is advisable that the target weapon be made of a metal compatible with the metal of the cauldron. One teaspoon of amber resin is added once the water has reached boiling. Amber resin has the magical qualities of security, stability, protection, and peace; without the amber resin, the Caveo Veles potion would be unstable, potentially dangerous to handle, and would inflict the weapon-wielder with a battle-lust like aggression. Using the amber resin as the base for the potion stabilizes it, as well as adding to its defensive strength. Chemically, the amber resin raises the pH level, making the solution basic.

Once the amber resin has melted and dissolved into the water, the griffon talon is added. The griffon is a fiercely aggressive creature, and much of this aggression can be harnessed in the talon. Again, the amber resin comes into play, magically mollifying the dangerous nature of the reagent. The talon has no immediate chemical effect, as it will stay whole until the dragon's blood is added. Dragon's blood also has very aggressive qualities and a corrosive chemical nature. It breaks up the griffon talon, diffusing the magic and chemicals within. This interaction neutralizes both the alkalinity of the talon and the acidity of the blood, leaving the new solution at the same pH as the amber resin solution. Dragon's blood also has the magical property of heat, so the cauldron must be removed from the flame at the this point to keep it just below boiling.

Now the iron shaving are added, held within a sieve so that they do not fall into the cauldron. The potion must simmer for at least half an hour. This is the step at which most people make mistakes. In cooking, a soup can be left to simmer by itself with little or no attention paid. By contrast, simmering is usually the most important step in potions. While the Caveo Veles potion simmers with the iron shavings, the brewer must cast their magic into the potion, focusing on the weapons the potion will be used on – this gives the end result an affinity for those weapons. This is why general Caveo Veles potions that can be bought at an average weaponry store is never as affective as those made professionally for specific weapons – the magic of the brewer affects the end result greatly. Were a muggle making it, at this point the iron shavings wouldn't react at all and the end result would be useless. The shavings themselves are simply a medium through which the brewer can cast their magic into the potion to give it a specific purpose, i.e.: to make weapons sharper and stronger.

The next two, the gladiolus petals and the iris roots, are enhancers and should be added at once. At its most basic level, the potion is finished once it's done simmering with the shavings. However, if left at that stage, the result is sloppy and unpredictable, as well as corrosive – it will eventually eat through any weapon it is used on. Also, the magic is so untamed that, instead of three proximity weapons being the limit, only one weapon per person could have the potion used on it. The Gladiolus traditionally stands for strength of character, and the petals transfers that magical property over, combining with the dragon's blood remnants to give the property of invincibility to the potion. The Iris stands for valor, and the roots combine with the dissolved griffon talon to add that property, which translates, in weaponry, to a weapon that will never fall from it's wielder's hands. Together, the flowers work to unify the potion, making it one whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Chemically, the flowers add to the pH, making the solution more basic, which is why the hydrochloric acid is added – it makes the potion neutral so that it doesn't corrode the metal. Magically, hydrochloric acid is weak as it is a muggle-created chemical reagent, but it does have properties of viciousness and purging, helping the potion to keep the blade shiny rather than leaving any residue and making any wounds caused by the weapon sting rather more than they would otherwise.

As you can see, potions require the proper interactions of magical properties, chemical properties, and the magic of the brewer at nearly every step. Cooking requires only chemical reactions, and comparatively few at that. If I have at all achieved my objective here, none of my readers will again refer to potions as 'just like cooking'.

**Author's Notes:** First, to address my reviewers (both of them).

Jessica Halliwell Potter – Wow, I am blown away flattered. :D Thank you!

I-Shave-Clowns – I prefer to know who's reviewing because I like to read the stuff of the people who review for me, though I am worried that blocking anonymous reviews may cut down on constructive criticism, which I don't want. Please, don't anyone feel worried about pointing out a flaw, I know they are there, it's just hard for me as the writer to see them.

Now, if you please, I would be grateful for a review, but I realize something this didactic and completely lacking in plot isn't likely to get many. Anyway, thanks for reading at least!


	3. Transfiguration

**Disclaimer: **Jo's world, I just live here.

**Summary:** Aries' masterpiece from TTS, minus Candle of Illumination.

**A/N:** Looked back through and found this chapter mostly finished, so I polished it off and away we go.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Chapter 3 – Transfiguration: Subatomic Particles and the Laws of the Universe

Transfiguration, while one of the most complex forms of magick, is also the one to which muggles have contributed the most. As any muggle physicist can tell you, the laws of thermodynamics are all about transfers of energy between masses. The first law is that of the conservation of energy, which states that the output of a process cannot be greater than the input. Similarly, the second law, entropy, states that, as there is no process of perfect efficiency, the output of a process will never equal the input. The next question I hope you ask, unless you are of Ravenclawish mind and have already figured it out, is: what do muggle laws have to do with transfiguration? Simple, really.

Transfiguration is also all about the transfer of energy between masses.

Have you ever transfigured an object into another object of comparable, but slightly lesser, mass? Have you ever touched it directly afterwards? If you have, you will likely have noticed that the object is now warmer than it was before. The reason for this is that pesky First Law. You see, conservation of energy also means conservation of matter. Matter and energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed. In transfiguring an object of volume X into an object of volume X – E, you are left with an amount of matter equal to E. As matter cannot be destroyed, this is let off as energy. Most of it goes into the spell, which is why Minimizing Transfigurations tend to last longer, and some of it is given off as light in what's known as a Spell Flare, but the rest is given off as heat. That heat is why it is generally discouraged for someone to attempt to transfigure a large tree into a small chair – the chair would likely burn.

Now take the converse of the above situation. Instead of transfiguring X into X – E, transfigure X into X + E. This is, as any NEWT student can tell you, a Maximizing Transfiguration, but there is a distinct reason it is not taught until the upper years. Above, we learned that matter cannot be destroyed or created, so where did the extra mass come from? The answer: I don't know. No one knows for sure, though there are numerous theories. For one, we again turn to the muggle science to learn about quarks and leptons.

Quarks and leptons are subatomic particles that, along with gauge bosons, make up the entire universe and all matter within it. Yes, that means wizards and muggles both. However, this is exciting news, because this means that everything, every planet, every creature, every piece of fruit is made up of the same basic pieces, just in different configurations. Transfiguration of objects of like mass is simply a process of moving those pieces around with magic, which is, in and of itself, made up of quarks.

Quarks come in six types – Up, Down, Top, Bottom, Strange, and Charm. Up and Down are the most common type and found in everything from porridge to diamonds, however the Top, Bottom, Strange and Charm quarks have not been found in nature by muggle scientists, though they have been created in controlled environments. However, it is not by chance that the sixth type is called Charm. In the little-known and much-mocked American Institute of Magick and Science, known as AIMS for short, quark studies were done on the properties of magick itself.

They found that Charm Quarks appeared in abundance when magic was cast, before vanishing and being replaced by Up and Down Quarks, and discharging leptons and gauge bosons. So, what does that mean in English? Basically, magic itself supplies the energy needed for Maximizing Transfigurations and, through a process still not fully understood, produces matter (quarks and leptons) and light (gauge bosons). Further research into these areas by AIMS are looking into Dark Matter and Dark Energy as a source for the increase in mass. After all, if a person's own magic had to provide all the energy required for a Maximizing Transfiguration, only Merlin could have done so much as change a teacup into a saucepan.

For more information on the subjects in this chapter, I refer you to Charmed, I'm Sure by Dr. Tau Gluon of AIMS, or Transfigumorium of Delight by Albus Dumbledore of our very own Hogwarts.

**-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-**

**A/N: I'd honestly really rather not finish this. I've explained so much magical theory in the story itself, that this seems kind of superfluous. If any of you have any questions about the magical concepts in my story, though, feel free to ask, I would love to explain.**

**PANTZ,**

**Emy**


End file.
